Author: Serkadis

With the HPS™ series, NSK has developed spherical roller bearings that offer twice the lifespan and a limiting speed that is up to 20% higher compared to conventional spherical roller bearings.
Thanks to their improved wear resistance under high speeds and high mechanical loads, the HPS™ bearings can cope with all types of demanding applications. Includ-ing, for example, pumps and compressors, cranes and other hoisting devices, paper machines, mining technol-ogy and the steel industry.
Since demand for HPS™ bearings is continually on the increase, NSK has optimised the series and signifi-cantly upgraded and extended the product offerings. Bearings with bore diameters of up to 260 mm are now available.
In the case of the new sizes (known as the CAM design) NSK has optimised the retainer design and adapted these to carry higher loads. The HPS™ bearings available un-til now – the EA series which NSK continues to offer – are manufactured with a bore diameter of up to 130 mm. Unlike the HPS™ EA series, the HPS™ CAM bearings are equipped with a guide ring – giving extremely precise roller guiding and the solid brass retainers offer very high wear resistance. (The EA series achieves these qualities through a special surface treatment of the steel plate retainers). Optimal design of the inner and outer ring is a prerequisite before the additional, larger rollers may be installed.
These design features not only increase the life span and the wear resistance, they also increase the dynamic load rating by up to 25%. As a result, the new “large size” HPS™ spherical roller bearings can allow “down-sizing” in high loaded drive assemblies for demanding applications.

Workshop presses are predominantly used for maintenance applications and must be capable to accept a wide variety of shapes of work pieces. An optimal use of the frame daylight opening and ease of operation (adjusting the upper/lower beds, optimal operating speed, transportation, etc) are important parameters. When pressing delicate parts (bearings, gears, etc), accuracy is important. For rough pressing operations, optimal plunger speed is of the essence.

Enerpac introduces new XLP-series multi-functional workshop presses. These presses are available in press capacities of 25, 50 and 75 ton. With a wide power source selection the XLP-press line is suited for a variety of applications.

With foot operated air pump
The XLP-press is also available with the innovative XA-Series air-over-hydraulic pump with XVARI® Technology. This pump is easy operated by foot. No need to fully lift up foot – rest bodyweight on heel, resulting in a handsfree and stabile working position – safe and controlled press operation.

Features & benefits
• Multi-functional presses in kit form
• Height adjustment of lower bed with auto-braking winch
• Width adjustment allows cylinder to move from side-to- side
• Industrial long life single- or double-acting Golden Ring Design cylinder
• Suitable for delicate pressing jobs from variable oil flow.
• Easy grip forklift access
• No welding points under load conditions.

Filed under: SUV, Truck, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC

Listen to enough of the bloviation, and you’ll start to believe that full-size, traditional SUVs are the root of all evil. While the hue and cry has gone up far and wide branding these truck-based vehicles as four-wheeled carcinogens, there are enough legitimate reasons to purchase a Chevrolet Suburban or Cadillac Escalade that General Motors is going ahead with the next generation.

SUVs have traditionally been healthy profit-earners for General Motors. Though sales dropped by 25 percent in 2009, sales are picking up once again and exports remain strong, all making a good case for the revamping and keeping the truck chassis. Work had been idled on the GMT900 architecture’s replacement while GM went through its bout with Chapter 11 and fuel prices spiked. Moving the Tahoe, Escalade, Yukon, and Suburban to a version of the unibody Lambda platform had also reportedly been considered. In the end, buyers opting for the big SUVs really want and need what they do; from three rows of seats to truck-strong towing and heavy-duty four-wheel-drive systems, so General Motors is apparently keeping the basic formula, confirming to Automotive News that all current versions of GMT900 have a future. The fact that GM SUVs are practically ubiquitous as congressional transporters probably doesn’t hurt the case for revamping the full-size SUV line, either. After all, Capitol Hill has a massive stake in GM, and they might as well get some new armored Escalades for politicians publicly stumping for small, fuel-efficient cars, right?

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

No Surprise: GM’s next-generation of large SUVs reportedly due by 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Think Ben Bernanke is bad? He’s not the only one with a huge future liabilities and in inability to resist the temptation to devalue his currency.

A similar phenomenon is playing out in the world of air and hotel loyalty points.

4Hotels has the latest on a “currency” battle between Hilton (HHonors) and rival IHG.

See, back in January, HHonors, effectively devalued their loyalty points by 20%, infuriating longtime customers.

Now IHG is going in for the kill:

The incredible overhang of that liability is just mind boggling. However consumer behaviour being what it is. People tend to hoard their points. While people are prepared to go to debt on their credit cards – they dont use up their FF miles. And yes I am guilty of this. (not the credit card debt thing BTW).

Anyway – Hilton and IHG are getting into it. IHG’s Priority Club is going after the devaluation of HHONORs points by about 20%. They are offering you at least 1000 points in return for giving them the status on your position with HH. So I did just that. Its a bit sneaky but for a free 1000 points and a chance at 2 million – why not?

Frankly it wasn’t enough really but I wanted to see what they would do for me.

From my point of view I was already ticked off at Hilton and therefore I stopped using them this year. My “disloyalty” is not that religious. I always chose a hotel based on location. Only if they are directly competitive (rates and location) does FF miles and points ever really make a difference to me.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• If Bernanke Were Made CEO Of A Real Bank, Investors Would Freak Out
• Inflation Protected Bonds Murdered As PIMCO And BlackRock’s Hyperinflation Fears Flounder
• Watch Out: ISM Inflation Reading Soars To Multi-Year Highs

Does the U.S. engage in the kind of “creative accounting” that caused the situation to erupt in Greece?

Sure we do.

Even former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker agrees. The federal government’s former chief auditor said we have no more than two years to confront growing costs like health care and Fannie and Freddie, which are basically ignored in yearly budgets.

“Bottom line is we’re not Greece, but we could end up with the same problems down the road,” Walker said on Squawkbox.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Is The Federal Reserve Secretly Bailing Out Greece?
• Bomb Explodes At JP Morgan Branch In Athens, Greece
• Greece: It’s Our Debt, But It’s Your Problem

Perception is everything, and when it comes to the their Windows Phone 7 Series launch Microsoft seemed to have hit the ball out of the park, convincing most comers with their latest efforts.

Importantly, this include analysts, who advise buyers on which shares they should purchase and set target prices.

In the above interview on Bloomberg Andy Miedler, an analyst at Edward Jones, talks with Bloomberg’s Lori Rothman and Mark Crumpton about the outlook for Microsoft Corp.’s new Windows Phone 7 mobile-phone operating system.

His sentiment is clearly positive, and in a case of the tail wagging the dog, it seems it will be Microsoft’s tiny mobile business which will have a material effect on their share price.

This will hopefully motivate Microsoft to invest more into this business segment and ensure their venture and our hobby is successful.

Will Windows Phone 7 change the public perception of Microsoft?  Let us know below.

After patiently waiting for 7 years, the Lotus Elise will finally get a facelift for the 2011 model year. Ready to make its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the 2011 Elise will get a new body design incorporating new front clamshell, rear bumper and engine cover. Lotus has also added all in one integrated headlamps including LED day time running lights and LED direction indicators. Since Lotus is all about efficiency, the 2011 Elise gets improved aerodynamics with a reduction in Cd by 4%, resulting in better fuel economy.

If at first sight you think that the 2011 Lotus Elise looks somewhat like the new Evora, you’re not wrong. Lotus says that the Elise gets a “more planted, purposeful stance and a pure, contemporary look that links it to the Evora.”

Power for the base 2011 Lotus Elise comes from a Toyota-source 1.6L engine making 134-hp. The Lotus Elise R is powered by a 1.8L engine making 192-hp while the Lotus Elise SC carries a supercharged 1.8L making 217-hp.

Price for the 2011 Lotus Elise will be announced in March with sales to kick off in April.

Click through for the press release and the high-res image gallery.

2011 Lotus Elise:

Press Release:

The new Lotus Elise probably has the lowest CO2 for its performance for any gasoline high performance sportscar in the world

The Lotus Elise revolutionised the sportscar market 14 years ago when the small lightweight agile 2-seat mid engine sportscar was introduced. By ensuring that the Elise stuck rigidly to Lotus’ core values of performance through light weight, the Elise was able to produce supercar performance with city car economy.

Making its debut at the 80th International Geneva Motorshow, the 2011 model year Lotus Elise introduces a number of changes and improvements to maintain its class leading position.

For the 2011 model year, the Elise range will consist of the following variants:

• Lotus Elise – 136 PS, less than 155 g of CO2 /km – new 1.6 litre engine *
• Lotus Elise R – 192 PS, 196 g of CO2 /km – 1.8 litre engine
• Lotus Elise SC – 220 PS, 199 g of CO2 /km – 1.8 litre supercharged engine

Key changes and improvements to the whole of the 2011 model year Elise range

• New evolution body design incorporating new front clamshell, rear bumper and engine cover
• New all in one integrated headlights including LED day light running lights and LED direction indicators
• Improved aerodynamics with a reduction in Cd by 4%, resulting in better fuel economy
• New cast and forged wheels
• Vehicle warranty increased from 2 years to 3 years and 36, 000 miles

Additional changes for the 2011 model year entry level Lotus Elise

• New high technology 1ZR-FAE 1.6 litre engine with Valvematic and Dual VVT-I technology to optimise the performance and efficiency of the engine
• Less than 155 g of CO2 per km (an improvement of over 13% compared to the 2010 Elise S)*
• Combined fuel consumption 6.14 litres / 100 km (46 mpg)*
• New 6 speed close ratio gearbox
• Cruise control available as part of the Touring pack

The body – an evolution

The new 2011 model year Elise range is on sale now and will be in showrooms from April 2010. The body of the new 2011 model year Elise is an evolution of the iconic Elise design, retaining the character and style, while offering a more planted, purposeful stance and a pure, contemporary look that links it to the Evora. As with all Lotus product the design is an exciting blend of dramatic style and functional efficiency

The new Elise body has a fresh sculptured front, including a new bumper, front clam and access panel that combine to give the Elise a wider look with more road presence.

At the rear of the car the new engine has been encased by a distinctive “twin-spine” engine cover whilst lower down a more aggressive diffuser is tightly wrapped by an elegant new bumper design that now includes the rear licence plate.

New headlamp units with distinctively sculptured LED lighting guides (incorporating daytime running lamps and direction indicators) give a contemporary twist to this classic design. Elsewhere, the signature, Lotus “mouth” and familiar sculptured forms have been sensitively refined to give a crisper, more dynamic look. The repositioning of lamp functions has enabled the creation of broad clean surface between the fenders which combines with sleek corner intakes and prominent splitter detail to give a broader more planted stance.

The theme of purity is carried through to the cooling apertures that are efficiently finished with a new lightweight aluminium mesh that gives the car a classically sporting character.

The rear boot is now opened from the cockpit rather than via a separate key operation. The high quality feel of the Elise is continued throughout the car with the Elise graphic incorporated into the new side LED direction indicators, like those on the Evora.

The driving position, from the perfectly positioned pedals and steering wheel, to the comfortable and supportive seats with ProBax** technology means that, like all Lotus cars, the driver becomes part of the car rather than being just a passenger.

With the sleek new body the aerodynamics have improved giving a reduction in the coefficient of drag of 4%.

Finally, a choice of two beautiful, light weight wheel designs are available; an incredibly light forged wheel and a new cast wheel completes the picture for this sensitive update of a Lotus Icon.

Additional changes to the 2011 model year Lotus Elise

The new 2011 model year Elise has a number of additional changes and improvements, with the installation of a new advanced 1.6 litre Valvematic engine meeting EURO 5 regulations. This new engine is 200cc smaller than the outgoing Elise S model and produces similar power (136 PS, 100 kW, 134 hp at 6800 rpm) with maximum torque of 160 Nm, 118 lbft at 4400 rpm, but offers a significant improvement to fuel economy of over 23%, to 6.14 litres / 100km (46 mpg)* and a reduction in CO2 emission by more than 13%*. This provides the new Lotus Elise with the lowest CO2 per performance for any gasoline high performance sportscar in the world. This high technology engine is mated to a new 6-speed manual gearbox, providing closer and more performance orientated ratios than the outgoing 5 speed box.

The 1.6 litre engine is controlled via the bespoke Lotus T6 engine management system. Cruise control is available on the Elise for the first time with the controls present on a stalk located to the left of the steering column.

New cast wheels have been designed specifically for the Elise and the new optional forged wheels weigh just 29.26 kg per set, 2.14 kg lighter than a set of lightweight cast versions. Both are available in silver or black colour.

Dany Bahar, Chief Executive of Group Lotus said, “The Lotus Elise revolutionised the sportscar when it was launched 14 years ago and now the Lotus Elise has become greener, giving drivers access to class leading performance with less guilt.”

Donato Coco, Director of Design said, “The Elise is an iconic sportscar and it was important that we did not complicate its design, so we made the car more pure in its look, improved the aerodynamics, and gave it a more contemporary look with high quality detailing.”

Paul Newsome, Director of Lotus Product Engineering said, “We are always looking at ways of keeping the Elise ahead of its peers and for the 2011 model year we have improved efficiency without losing the innate fun that has made the Elise legendary.”

Andreas Prillmann, Chief Commercial Officer for Lotus Cars said, “In its 14 years of production the Elise has accounted for 32% of all the 61 years of Lotus production, illustrating how significant to the brand and well loved it is. The 2011 model year Elise is greener, purer and more desirable, making it even more relevant to today’s marketplace. The new Elise underlines Lotus’ reputation as one of the most innovative sports car manufacturers in the world.”

Performance

Lotus Elise
0 – 60 mph 6.0 seconds*
0 – 100 km/h 6.7 seconds*
Maximum speed 200 km/h (124 mph)*

Lotus Elise R
0 – 60 mph 5.1 seconds
0 – 100 km/h 5.4 seconds
Maximum speed 222 km/h (138 mph)

Lotus Elise SC
0 – 60 mph 4.3 seconds
0 – 100 km/h 4.6 seconds
Maximum speed 233 km/h (145 mph)

The 2011 model year Elise in more detail.
The Elise – the entry model

Engine

The Lotus Elise introduces the new 1598 cm3, 1ZR-FAE engine, provided by Toyota. The key to this engine’s performance and efficiency is the Valvematic system (a variable valve lift mechanism), which is combined with the dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing-intelligent). The engine continuously controls intake valve opening/closing timing and the intake valve lift to vary the volume of the intake airflow, giving significant improvements in efficiency and fuel economy. This ensures optimal performance based on the engines operational condition, thus helping the Elise achieve both high fuel efficiency and high performance.

First of all, the maximum power output is achieved at near maximum revs (engine speed) of 6800 rpm and maximum torque (a respectable 160 Nm, 118 lb.ft) is reached at 4400 rpm. This gives a good combination of mid range pull but also encourages the driver to rev the engine to the maximum permitted engine speed of 7000 rpm (transient rev limit). Like all Elise sportscars, there are three shift up lights, on the binnacle cumulatively lighting when the driver is getting closer to the rev limiter and when all three are illuminated, they flash to indicate that the driver is almost on the rev limiter so time to change up a gear!

The height of the engine cover has been raised by 34mm to accommodate the taller 1ZR engine compared to the previous 1ZZ engine from the outgoing model due, in part, to the additional Valvematic technology included on the new engine. This has given Lotus engineers an opportunity to subtly redesign the rear engine cover to match the design theme from the front and rear of the car.

Chassis

The Lotus Elise is built around the revolutionary and award winning extruded and bonded aluminium chassis, with a lightweight steel rear subframe. The chassis weighs 68 kg (150 lbs) and has a stiffness of 9,800 Nm per degree, giving a high level of control of the suspension. At the rear, and also acting as a rear energy absorbing crash structure, a lightweight steel subframe carries the engine and gearbox. At the front, the radiator and key ancillaries are mounted into a high tech composite energy absorbing crash structure that is both lightweight, compact and over three times more energy absorbing than the equivalent steel structure.

Ride and handling

The legendary Lotus ride and handling gives a superb high performance, sporty drive, combined with a compliant ride and progressive on limit handling, it makes the Elise a car that demands to be driven. The entry level Lotus Elise weighs 876 kg, making it one of the lightest fully homologated sportscars in the world. This low weight translates into efficient performance with minimal environmental impact in terms of emissions and fuel consumption. The efficiency of the Elise structure means that the 136 PS (100 kW, 134 hp) delivers phenomenal performance. Few cars can match the delicacy and accuracy of the steering, throttle and brakes of the Elise and all of these factors contribute to the excellent driving experience of the Elise.

Safety

The Elise has high performance AP Racing callipers at the front and Brembo callipers at the rear linked to 282 mm vented and cross-drilled cast iron discs to give excellent stopping power. The Elise comes as standard with a track tuned ABS system that is designed to be unobtrusive under normal driving conditions. This system is designed to be used on track and has a high threshold, only intervening in emergencies. The ABS system is linked to a lightweight pedal box with steel pedal arms and extruded aluminium pads. This unit also has an electronic (drive-by-wire) throttle for quick, smooth and more linear engine response. The impressive braking coupled with excellent handling gives good primary safety and the composite front crash structure and rear crash protection offers efficient secondary safety. Driver and passenger airbags and pre-tensioning seatbelt are standard on all Elise models.

Prices will be announced in March 2010.

*The Lotus Elise is currently undergoing EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval and official fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures, plus performance figures are not yet available. The official figures for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and performance will be published on Group Lotus plc’s web site as soon as they become available (www.grouplotus.com) or may be obtained from the PR Department, Lotus Cars Limited, Potash Lane, Hethel, Norfolk, NR14 8EZ, UK.

**“ProBax™” seats

Introduced for 2006 Model Year Lotus Exige and Elise cars, ProBax™ seats are designed by Lotus and specifically adapted and developed by NuBax. ProBax™ seats help to significantly improve the postural position of the occupant’s spine whilst seated compared to similar seat shells without ProBax technology. This not only results in an improved level of comfort, but also has significant medical benefits – maintaining a natural curvature of the spine, and markedly improving the body’s blood flow. Increased blood flow has been shown to enhance response times, raise alertness levels and reduce the onset of muscle fatigue. Tests on Lotus seats, with the new ProBax™ technology, have shown an improvement in blood flow of up to thirty per cent over the pre-2006 Model Year Lotus seat.

– By: Kap Shah

Fanboys, be still your beating hearts; word on the street is that El Jobso himself is (finally!) working on his own completely genuine and official biography.

Writing in The New York Times today, Brad Stone reports that the book we’ve all been yearning to get our hands on is in the early planning stages;

…Apple’s chief executive is set to collaborate on an authorized biography, to be written by Walter Isaacson, the former managing editor of Time magazine, according to two people briefed on the project.

Walter Isaacson is no slouch when it comes to writing biographies of important people. Previous works include Einstein: His Life and Universe and Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. A title he published last year, American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane was a series of essays written on the subject of great leadership.

So, hardly surprising then that he’s the scribe charged with documenting the life of Stephen P. Jobs, Genius Entrepreneur and Super Ego. It’s quite something to be able to say you share your biographer with both a Founding Father and the man who unlocked the secrets of the Universe.

The book, which is in the early planning stages, would cover the entire life of Mr. Jobs, from his youth in the area now known as Silicon Valley. [Jobs has] …invited Mr. Isaacson to tour his childhood home, one person with knowledge of the discussion said.

Naturally, both Isaacson and Apple declined to comment.

What To Expect

I wonder, can we expect a really honest account of The Steve’s life? If you’ve ever watched Pirates of Silicon Valley (widely considered an accurate portrayal of young Jobs and Gates) you’ll know very well what a, shall we say, “rambunctious chap” Steve could be as he steered Apple to its first dizzying heights of success. (I’m being polite; perhaps a better phrase is “insanely megalomaniacally hostile, selfish and unkind” — yeah, that might be more accurate.)

You see, while Steve Jobs is a genius (there’s no doubt about that) he has earned something of a reputation for being an impatient, quick-to-anger man. Again, I’m choosing polite words.

Will he, for example, admit to moments of sheer good-fortune that have subsequently been incorrectly attributed to some special “vision” on his part? (I’m sure there are a few such examples.) Will he address the mistakes and failures that we assume were pretty significant moments of disappointment in his career? (The Cube, anyone?)
And what about all those drugs in the 70’s? Will he talk about that openly, honestly, frankly?

If he doesn’t, if this book contains none of that gritty, hard-edged truth, it’ll be panned by every critic on the planet. It’ll be like Michael Jackson’s 1988 biography Moonwalk – 283 pages of fluff that added little of value to the man’s legacy. And, while I certainly admire and respect Steve Jobs’ achievements in the industry (not to mention his skills as a public speaker) I’m not such a blind fanboy I fail to see that he is, essentially, a salesman. A very good salesman, to be sure, but I don’t want to read a 300+ page book celebrating what a wonderful salesman Steve Jobs is.

I think we can safely say what won’t be in it; love affairs and reluctant parenthood are just the sort of “private matters” Jobs is unlikely to want in his biography. (They’re just too gritty.)

Don’t forget, Steve Jobs is the master of Stubbornly Refusing to Accept or Admit When Things Are Not Perfect. That celebrated Reality Distortion Field usually placates the unwashed masses during keynote speeches, but likely won’t be conveyed at full-power through the pages of a book.

Timing

I can’t help thinking, what does it mean, writing his biography now? The instant easy answer is that it might not mean anything at all …or nothing more than the fact that a publisher (in this case, probably Simon & Schuster, who have published all Isaaconson’s books to date) has offered Jobs the right incentive. I don’t mean to suggest Steve Jobs is short of cash, but rather, his biography (a surefire best-seller and cash cow for any publisher) might be part of an iPad-related digital publishing negotiation. (I don’t know that, nor do I want to start any silly conspiracy theories. Like I said, the timing might not mean anything at all.)

But I’ll leave you with one last thought – what if this book proves to be the final word from Apple’s current CEO? What if this biography is the parting one more thing from Steve Jobs as he prepares for retirement? It was rumored earlier this year that Jobs considered the iPad the most important thing he’d ever done; if that’s true, he probably feels like it’s almost the right time to step down – while he’s still at the very top of his game.

What do you think we can we expect from the official biography? Does it mark the end of an era? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The owner of a company that’s won more than $9.5 million in public contracts as a certified minority-owned and woman-owned business pleaded innocent Tuesday to federal fraud charges tied to the jobs it won, including runway work at O’Hare and landscaping work for a new Metra station in Orland Park.

Aurora Venegas, 61, owner of Azteca Supply Co., and her husband, Thomas Masen, 65, entered the plea in U.S. District Court, the Sun-Times is reporting.

Azteca was supposed to have full control of its contracts, but federal authorities charge the company improperly subcontracted work to businesses owned by white men.

Venegas allegedly was little more than a supplier of materials obtained from National Concrete Pipe Co., where her husband is comptroller.

When the FBI served a search warrant on National Concrete Pipe two years ago, company president John Esposito, 65, assaulted one of the FBI agents. He later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

Prosecutors accuse Azteca of fraudulently receiving more than $9.5 million in contracts from the city of Chicago between 2001 and July 2008.

In that same period, Azteca also got a $57,168 landscaping contract for a new Metra station in Orland Park.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are searching for heat-seeking Asian carp.

Weather permitting, biologists will begin sampling in Chicago-area rivers and canals Wednesday for silver or bighead Asian carp that have made it past an electric fish barrier system.

Crews will focus on areas where warm water from industrial operations enters the waterways.

Fish tend to congregate near the warmer water in the winter as temperatures drop.

The barrier system is designed to keep carp out of the Great Lakes, where officials fear they could disrupt the food chain by starving out other fish.

While DNA samples suggest carp have breached the barrier, no physical fish has been found.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Authorities say they have found the kitchen knife a Mokena woman used to brutally murder her elderly mother on Monday.

A team of evidence technicians and law enforcement personnel spent much of Monday combing through 89-year-old Tresa McCauleys condo in the 19500 block of 116th Avenue for clues after her daughter, Gaye Wern, confessed to killing McCauley, police Cmdr. Chris Surdel said.

The team was expected to finish searching for evidence today.

Wern, 57, came into Mokenas police station at 1:45 p.m. Monday and said she had killed McCauley several hours earlier in the day, Surdel said.

She was very distraught, Surdel said. Very quiet, with her head down in her lap. She wouldnt say much.

Police executed a search warrant at McCauleys condominium and found McCauley dead in her bathtub with multiple stab wounds in her torso, Surdel said.

McCauley was charged with one count of first-degree murder, Surdel said. Her bond hearing has been set for 1:30 p.m. today.

An autopsy of McCauley is also expected today.

Despite Werns confession, the reason for the slaying remains unclear, police said.

Detectives said they questioned (Wern) on two different occasions, and they cannot pinpoint a motive, Surdel said.

He said Wern previously lived elsewhere in Mokena but had been living with her mother at the condo for about six months.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Gold is having a killer day right now, currently up $30 (2.75%) to $1120 an ounce. The weak dollar is providing much of the support.

All commodities are generally having a great day. Silver is up 4.4% to $16.13 an ounce, up $0.68.

Futures of platinum, copper, and palladium are all up significantly as well.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Gold, Oil, And Copper Are On Fire, As The Dollar Gets Kicked In The Gut
• The Gold Market Isn’t Closed, And It’s Threatening To Break Back Above $1100
• Gold Stopped Being A Hedge In 2009

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m very much against enforcing net neutrality through legislation (too many unintended consequences) but I’m stunned at the ridiculous and totally bogus reasons given by those fighting against those regulations in support of their claims. The latest on this front is Stephen Titch, a policy analyst at the Reason Foundation (a group whose work I usually think is quite good), coming out with a policy brief making the ludicrous argument that network neutrality would mean no more iPhones.

Now that’s a bold claim, and such a bold claim should require at least some evidence to back it up. But there is none. This is as far as it seems to get:

The non-discrimination principle that Genachowski seeks to mandate would prohibit service providers such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint from using their network resources to prioritize or partition data as it crosses their networks so as to improve the performance of specific applications, such as a movie or massive multiplayer game. Yet quality wireless service is predicated on such steps. The iPhone, for example, would not have been possible if AT&T and Apple did not work together to ensure AT&T’s wireless network could handle the increase in data traffic the iPhone would create.

There’s a neat little trick in there that hides the blatant falsehood of the premise. What’s described in the first sentence as what would be banned is not the same thing that’s described in the second sentence as what AT&T and Apple did. Furthermore, the first sentence is not particularly accurate, and appears to be a stretch and misread of what the proposals actually have said — though, again, the final rules could change. The issue isn’t that network providers couldn’t prioritize data, but that they couldn’t discriminate in terms of who could make use of that prioritization in an anti-competitive manner (i.e., the provider could determine that a VoIP call needs prioritization, so long as all VoIP providers get the same prioritization).

But, back to the key point: this has nothing, whatsoever, to do with the network improvements that AT&T agreed to make in order to get the iPhone (which arguably, haven’t worked all that well). AT&T’s efforts were focused on upgrades to its network, which had nothing at all to do with discriminating against certain applications or services directly. Of course, since then, AT&T/Apple has chosen to discriminate against certain applications in its app store, but not at the network level, which is the main issue here.

I’m as worried as the next guy about the unintended consequences of network neutrality legislation, but making totally ridiculous and unsubstantiated claims that net neutrality would mean “no more iPhone” makes those arguing against network neutrality rules look petty and willing to flat-out lie to support their position.

Permalink | Comments | Email This Story

Hours after her husband left to gather flagstones for a new garden, Sharon Weber awoke to find he still hadn’t returned to their Aurora home.

She loaded the couple’s two sons, a 2-year-old and a 3-week-old baby, into the car and set out to find him.

Nearly 18 years later, the heartbreak of what she discovered early that morning filled a DuPage County courtroom Tuesday as Weber relived the moment she found her husband’s bullet-ridden body lying off the roadway not far from their home. “He was lying in the mud,” she said through tears. “He had blood on his face. I yelled out to him and he did not answer me. So I turned around and drove. I drove to the nearest pay phone I could find.”

The widow’s emotional testimony opened the long-awaited trial of Edward L. Tenney, a twice-convicted killer serving life prison terms who faces a possible death sentence if convicted in DuPage County of a third slaying.

Jerry D. Weber, a 24-year-old carpet installer, was shot four times early April 17, 1992, in Aurora Township after his van became stuck in mud near an abandoned grain silo at Sheffer and Vaughn roads, which is now the Stonebridge subdivision and golf course.

Weber was robbed of his wallet, and the $6 it contained. The couple’s sons, David and Erik, are now 19 and 17. Sharon Weber, just 21 when she lost her husband, shot Tenney a cold glare after her 30-minute testimony, as she exited the courtroom.

She identified photos of her husband, whom she married in 1989, in life, as well as in death.

Tenney, 50, maintains his innocence.

A hard-fought battle in DuPage Circuit Judge Daniel Guerin’s courtroom is anticipated. Lawyers spent three weeks assembling the six-man, six-woman jury.

If members convict Tenney, they will be asked in the trial’s next two phases to determine if he is eligible for a death sentence based on certain statutory guidelines, and then whether capital punishment is the appropriate sentence.

Tenney is serving two life prison terms for the 1993 slaying of dairy heiress Mary Jill Oberweis and her elderly neighbor, Virginia Johannessen, killed months apart in separate robberies in Aurora Township.

Four other men were wrongly accused in Kane County of the Johannessen slaying.

Three were acquitted. One man from Bellwood was sentenced to a 60-year prison term, but was set free in 1995 after Tenney and his cousin Donald Lippert were indicted.

Lippert, 34, formerly of Woodridge, has been serving a lengthy term since 1996 after he pleaded guilty to being Tenney’s teenage accomplice in all three murders and is expected to be one of the prosecution’s star witnesses, along with his brother and father – all of whom led police to the murder weapon and Jerry Weber’s wallet that they said Tenney had in his possession.

“The evidence will show this wasn’t just a murder. This was an execution,” prosecutor Robert Berlin said in his opening statement. “It’s been nearly 18 years. A lot of things have changed. People get older. Memories fade. But some things remain the same. The truth does not change and the will of the people to do justice doesn’t change.”

The defense team argues Donald Lippert – eligible for parole in September 2035 at age 60 – is far from a reliable witness and that prosecutors lack enough evidence to convict Tenney.

“You’re going to see some incredible testimony from some really incredible people,” defense attorney Mark Kowalczyk said. “Watch very carefully where the state’s evidence comes from and how it ties to Edward Tenney. You’re going to be amazed.”

Tenney’s criminal history includes armed robberies, burglaries, attempted prison escapes and weapon violations in Illinois and Florida. He also has a long history of emotional and personality disorders, as well as substance abuse, according to court records.

Tenney once faced death by lethal injection for the Johannessen murder. His conviction, though, was overturned in 2002 based on a legal trial error.

He was retried, convicted again and, in 2008, sentenced to a life prison term – clearing the way for the trial.

Read the original article on DailyHerald.com.

Distributed via Chicago Press Release Services

Third Avenue recently filed its 13F report with the SEC.

It seems that as of December 31st, Martin Whitman’s hedge fund no longer had a stake in CIT. The fund had been selling off portions of their holding in CIT Group since at least back in 2008 and finally sold off their last chunk during the 4th quarter of 2009.

Third Avenue’s investment in CIT Group went from a $90 million invested in the 4th quarter of 2007 to $42 million a year later in the 4th quarter 2008, to $377,000 in the 3rd quarter of 2009.

And now as of the 4th quarter in 2009, Third Avenue is done with CIT.

One of the only new stakes Third Aveunue took up this year is KeyCorp, which is also a financial services and banking company. It’s based in Ohio and currently has only one branch in Manhattan.

Third Avenue purchased around $60 million in KeyCorp stock last quarter. Their stock has since rebounded from being down in November and December last year.

Third Ave’s biggest two holdings are in Brookfield Asset Management with almost $500 million invested and Posco $600 million invested in the iron and steel company.

See all of Third Avenue’s holdings listed on their 13F report from last quarter.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Simon Properties Acquiring Hedge Fund Favorite General Growth Properties
• The Phone Of Warren Buffett’s Hedge Fund Cutie Cara Goldenberg Has Been Ringing Off The Hook Today
• Stella Is Selling Special "Hedge Fund" Branded Beer

Here’s some smart and refreshing perspective from David Kotok of Cumberland Advisors on the medium-term outlook for Europe:

We do not expect the euro to fail as a currency and we do not expect the ECB or the EU to dismember.  This is true even if Greece defaults.  Would the United States dismember if Rhode Island defaulted on its municipal bonds?  We think not.  Did the revelations about Robert Citron and the Orange County California pool and bankruptcy dismember the entire US Muni market?  No.  But it did create a terrific buying opportunity when the market swooned and all Munis sold off for a few weeks.
 
We believe that the weakening of the Euro will make the companies in many European countries much more competitive on the world scene.  Machine tool makers in Germany which compete against those in Pennsylvania now have a 10 percent price advantage when selling to China.  The didn’t have it a few months ago.  The same is true for French winemakers or French nuclear reactor technology sellers.  The weaker the euro becomes the more competitive European exporters will be in the world markets.  And the weakening of the euro will not add to inflationary pressures in the Eurozone because the negative output gap is huge.  That means the ECB will maintain its present very low interest rate policy throughout the crisis with Greece and likely for the rest of this year.
 
Also, note that the crisis is strengthening the dollar since it is now the default currency choice in the world.  A stronger dollar means any inflation pressures that the US economy may experience are diminishing.  The Fed knows this which is why it will remain on a low interest rate program for the rest of this year.
 
At Cumberland we see this as a developing opportunity to reposition in Europe with a higher allocation and more selectivity.  Not today but the time to trade gets nearer every day as the crisis unfolds.
 
For the moment we continue in the strong dollar mode.  Our US ETF accounts are fully invested and we expect the US stock market to go higher.  Our target of 1250 to 1300 on the S&P 500 index remains.  We expect full closure of the “Lehman gap.”

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Rosenberg: There’s Still Tons More Pain Coming For The Euro
• Amateur Euro Haters Going Crazy For This Double-Leveraged Inverse Euro ETN
• Here’s Another Reason The Euro Is Screwed

By John F. Terzano

As advocates of justice, prosecutors play a unique and powerful role in our justice system. Yet too often, prosecutors fall prey to a pervasive “convict at all costs” culture, and neglect their ethical duty to protect the innocent and guard the rights of the accused. The recent actions of Santa Clara District Attorney Dolores Carr demonstrate this troubling culture. Carr has directed her office to boycott the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Andrea Bryan, who barred the retrial of a case overturned due to Santa Clara prosecutor Troy Benson’s prosecutorial misconduct. The finding of misconduct against Troy Benson presents an opportunity for Santa Clara prosecutors to examine what may have led to Benson’s misconduct, and take steps to ensure abuses of power do not take place again in the future. However, instead of addressing her colleague’s misconduct, which Judge Bryan called “grossly shocking,” Carr is calling for open criticism of the judge responsible for upholding her constitutional obligation to reverse convictions prejudiced by egregious prosecutorial misconduct.

Prosecutors have sole responsibility for deciding whether to file charges, what charges to bring, what sentence to seek, what plea bargain to offer, and what evidence to present to a jury during trial. These varied and unique duties render prosecutors the most powerful actors in our criminal justice system. Yet despite their power, prosecutors are rarely held accountable for violating their ethical obligations. This lack of accountability fosters a problematic culture that plagues prosecutors’ offices around the country and contributes to wrongful convictions.

Prosecutors’ obligation to ensure public safety and convict the guilty must coexist with the overriding goal of justice. The Justice Project’s policy review, Improving Prosecutorial Accountability outlines suggested reforms that can help create a culture that prioritizes fairness and accuracy over high conviction rates. For example, prosecutor’s offices should establish training programs and official office policies on the prosecutor’s duty to disclose evidence to the defense and the proper use of prosecutorial discretion – a move that The Department of Justice recently took in response to the Ted Stevens case. Moreover, prosecutors who intentionally abuse their power to secure a wrongful conviction must be investigated and disciplined for their actions. Jurisdictions should also establish prosecutorial review boards with the power to investigate and sanction prosecutors who perpetrate acts of misconduct as a means of recognizing the unique power prosecutors hold. Implementing these reforms will foster a more ethical culture in prosecutors’ offices and increase transparency in prosecutorial decision-making.

Article Tags: Art Horn

During the first two weeks of January, a record cold wave invaded Florida. It was the longest and coldest penetration of Arctic air into Florida since 1940. For the first two weeks of 2010, West Palm Beach had an average low temperature of 39 degrees.

This month, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia were buried under record amounts of snow. Meanwhile, another storm dropped snow on the Deep South closing schools and highways. Dallas reported getting a foot of the white stuff, breaking that city’s 24-hour record for snowfall.

The winter of 2009-10 is rewriting the record books for cold and snow. Gee, I thought we were going to see the end of winter due to global warming — at least that’s what Al Gore told us. And yet, to the amazement and amusement of many we are being told that this winter’s record cold and record snowfall is due to global warming. Huh? Record cold and record snow is because it’s getting warmer?

Source: energytribune.com

Read in full with comments »